Prevention is the Cure…

“Prevention is the cure!” Andrea Grace, Owner of the Elila Center for Natural Healing

This statement resonated with me so much. Your best defense against sickness is to keep your immune system supported. The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be to fight off any nasty intruders.

Here are my favorite tips to stay strong and healthy:

Practice balance

It’s so easy to grab a pumpkin spiced latte or an apple spiced donut. However, a short while later, you are feeling sleepy and exhausted. Instead, enjoy the seasonal fresh foods like winter squashes, pumpkins, nuts, and seeds, in their natural form to fuel your body and provide sustainable energy. If a slice of mom’s apple pie is worth the splurge, focus on filling the rest of your plate full of things that do your body good. Practice balance, so you can enjoy your favorite seasonal goodies while still eating nutritious-dense foods to keep your immune system healthy.

Focus on gut health

Your gut is a critical part of your immune system. Eat naturally probiotic foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt and kombucha. As well as prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, apples, dandelions greens and asparagus which contain indigestible fibers which feed your good gut bacteria. The prebiotics and probiotics work together to create a balanced gut microbiome and to support your overall health.

Sleep enough

Your body needs sleep to rest and repair. When you sleep, your body completes restoration and cleansing rituals within your cells. Plus, as you sleep, it can build up its army of white blood cells should it detect an intruding pathogen.

Exercise your body

Exercise boosts immunity and provide a great way to relieve stress. If you’re not ready to go back to the gym — you can do exercises at home or, even better, get out there in the fresh air and enjoy the calming spirit of nature as you walk, jog, or run.

Relieve your stress

Stress and tension seem to be a constant these days. Determine ways you can change your perception of the stress as well as release it. Try meditation, yoga, journaling, or talking to friends and family to release your stress in a healthy way. Now is a great time to start building your stress resilience so you are prepared for the stressors of the holiday season!

Listen to your body

If your shoulder is aching or your stomach is constantly or bloated or you are regularly constipated, your body is giving you a message. Stop and listen to the signals, so you can address them before your body ‘yells’ at you. One of the ways to gain a better understanding of what’s going on is to keep a food and mood log, where you identify what you eat, how you feel and identify any symptoms you experience. If nothing jumps out at you, set up a session to review it together to set you up for success.

Fuel your body with nutritious foods

Do you find that you can’t resist that mocha latte or warm chocolate chip cookie? Or, at the end of the day, you deserve a glass of wine or some chips as you relax in front of the TV? You are not alone. Many of the foods in our Western diet have been chemically created in a lab to turn on the pleasure receptors in your brain. However, you have the power to take back control! If you are ready to ditch your sugar cravings and make peace with food, send me an email at [email protected] and schedule your free 20 minute strategy session to get started.

As you make your food and lifestyle choices each day, remember the quote from Andrea Grace, Owner of the Elila Center for Natural Healing, “Prevention is the cure!”

Isn’t it worth the effort to do the work now to stay healthy, rather than to risk dis-ease later?